Truths
by Silver Air
Summary: There was a reason Sonic never stayed in one place for long. When things settle down, you begin to think. And when you think, pieces of a past long left behind may start to resurface. It was difficult to hold back such thoughts when a younger version of yourself also happened to be around to push them right back in your face. [BASED AROUND SONIC FORCES. KINDA.]
1. Echoes

**A/N: Beware, for this fic contains occasional swearing and** **Edgy Backstories** **™.** **There's also a bit of projecting and headcanoning here whoooops.**

 **When I say this is based on Sonic Forces, I mean that it's based on the general premise, as almost nothing was actually known about the game at the time of writing the first chapters. I suppose you could call this an AU. Canon Divergence? Idk. [Insert large list of AO3 tags here.]**

* * *

 _He was only six, but he remembered the event as if it were the last thing that had happened to him. Christmas Island had been attacked, the cries of innocents a constant call within his mind. He had done nothing to help or stop it, remaining in the grasp of some monster in a mask as the worst events of his life played out._

He blocked the memory, as always. He hated how it found it's way to his thoughts whenever he sat down for any length of time.

 _He could feel each wall by only stretching his arms. The cell was dark, without a single pinprick of light to be found. Why had the bad men put him there? He hadn't done anything wrong!_

He wished he could leave. He wished he could go out and run five laps around the world. But there were more important things right now, and current situations made the task impossible regardless.

 _Freedom. Sweet freedom. In that moment, he decided that this was the best feeling of all. No one should have to be constrained or subjected to anything they didn't choose to be. He would make certain that no one did. He would do everything he could to prevent others going through the same thing as him. It was a big commitment for a ten-year-old to make, but he didn't care._ _Anyone who took away another's freedom was now his enemy._

Remembering that moment was as easy as remembering his birthday. He had made a vow to himself, albeit a difficult one to uphold. Still, he tried to think on current matters instead of what was long past.

 _He hadn't meant to be gone this long. He hadn't meant to leave the world to this. Below him, the city lay in tatters, a shadow of what it used to be. There was no changing what had happened, but that meant nothing to the fact that he should have paid better attention. Now, the best he could do was find his friends and fix this._

Sonic sat on a bench in the otherwise empty room, attempting to process all that had happened recently. His face was scrunched up in concentration. The room was comfortably large, and it had become a thinking spot for the hedgehog after...well, after everything that had happened. The fact that he needed a thinking spot at all was enough to tell how dire the situation was. He needed to come up with a plan, which he was also largely unfamiliar with. Most of the time he acted on impulse, which he couldn't trust right now. Sure, it had worked fine in the past, but water monsters didn't have an IQ of 300 and control over 99% of the planet. Worse, it was his fault. He _had_ to get the world out of this, and he had to keep his friends safe in the process.

He felt a light tap on his shoulder, and turned to see his younger self looking up at him. Putting a smile on his face, Sonic waved, "Hey there, little guy! What's up?"

His younger self - who they had begun calling "Classic" or "The Smaller One" - looked away, eyes darting in every direction but toward Sonic himself. It was awkward, with neither of them speaking to each other for what seemed like hours. Finally, Classic took a deep breath and asked, "Are...are we alone?" His voice was soft, spoken barely above a whisper.

"Yeah; no else here but us," Sonic said. He was a little surprised hearing Classic speak at all. The little guy hadn't said a single word during their last adventure together. Sonic had never dwelled on the fact much since there were more pressing matters at hand. But now? Now he was beginning to remember _why._ Of all places, why'd they have to be in the thinking spot?

"I have...a question," Classic continued, voice still barely audible.

"Hit me."

Classic was very hesitant. It made Sonic uneasy. "Are you…," _Yikes, was I really like this when I was younger?_ "Are you sure I'm, well, you? I-I mean, are you really an older version of _me_?"

Well, that wasn't the question Sonic was expecting, but he could certainly understand the reason. Who Sonic was now was a far cry from how he acted before. If he was in that position, seeing his current self like this, he'd be questioning the truth of it, too. The more he thought about it, the more images from his past appeared in his mind. Highly unwelcome images.

Just like that, Sonic the Hedgehog shattered.

With his thoughts from earlier added to Classic's presence, an outer shell of Sonic's image was broke through. He likely wouldn't have let it happen if any of his friends were in the room as well, but Classic was a past version of himself, if a bit different due to time travel related consequences Sonic didn't care to comprehend. There wasn't really anything to hide.

"Y-yeah," Sonic said, no longer smiling. "Yeah, we're the same guy, trust me." His tone was low, but honest.

In this quiet room, with no good distractions, just looking at Classic was kind of messing Sonic up. Obviously, he had nothing against the guy- again, he was himself, just younger. However, the way Classic looked at him took Sonic back through time, made him feel as if he were looking through a mirror. Despite his attempts, memories from before only grew more vivid in his mind. He felt hands around his neck, keeping him from moving while he watched- _It's not real,_ _ **it's not real!**_ He tried to block everything from his mind like always, but it was a difficult thing when the past was, quite literally, staring him in the face. He took a deep breath, shaking himself free of the memory. Classic looked concerned, sympathy flashing across his eyes. "Did you say something?" Sonic asked, doing his best to appear casual.

Classic hesitated, then shook his head. Sonic wasn't sure he believed him, but he didn't press it. If he was being honest, he kind of wanted to give Classic a hug. Whatever happened to Sonic in the past, it was far more recent to his younger self. He also knew that Classic wouldn't be too accepting of that hug if it were given, so he decided against it.

Well, this was awkward.

"How do you do that?" Classic's voice was stronger now; that was a quicker improvement than Sonic was expecting.

"Do what?" Sonic raised an eye ridge.

Classic made a few almost exasperated gestures to Sonic. "You have...a lot of friends. And you make jokes to lighten the mood. And you're so positive with other people...How do you do that?"

"If I recall, you weren't doing too bad at that yourself before." Sure, he didn't talk, be he looked pretty upbeat during the whole Time Eater incident.

"Pretending," Classic said. "I was pretending. Didn't want to anyone asking questions."

Sonic nodded. "Exactly. Pretending. Acting. Sure, you're not as good as I am at it right now, but you pulled it off."

Classic looked confused again.

Sonic sighed, a dry chuckle escaping his throat. He suddenly felt very vulnerable. He didn't like it when he acted like this, letting out a scrap of the emotion he tried so hard to keep hidden. Yet, the only one around was himself, and he was already lying to him enough. "I've tried to forget what happened to me...What happened to them. To _us._ I still haven't told anyone, you know. Not even Tails." He didn't want to ramble, but after saying even this much, he found he couldn't stop. After all, how could he be judged by _himself_? "I've moved ahead. That's kinda my thing, not looking back. Because...because if I get stuck back then, like really stuck, I'm not sure I could get myself back out. And if I'm not in the right state of mind, then there's no telling what'll happen to the world. I _can't_ let myself dwell on the past, so...so instead I put on a smile and pretend it never happened." His words came out without thought at a speed that anyone who wasn't himself would have a hard time keeping up with.

"And that's why I'm always looking for a new adventure," Sonic continued. "Keeps my mind occupied." He was staring at nothing, almost forgetting that Classic was even there. It was surreal, just saying any of this out loud. He laughed to himself. "It's just...so _hard_ sometimes. Because while most of it is actually pretty fun, sometimes things happen on those adventures that remind me of before or are just plain _bad_ , and I have to keep my cool. I guess I've gotten pretty good at it! But. I'm also _scared_ because I think someone's gonna notice, you know?" He made sounds akin to a deranged giggle. "Oh, who am I kidding? I can name at least three people who've probably picked up on it. And one of them I don't exactly trust to keep his mouth shut. For all I know, he's already told everyone he knows. What a chance to one-up the Faker!"

He paused. Yikes, he was starting to sound hysterical, but he couldn't just stop after all he had said. "Faker...you know, I'm starting to think that's not such an inaccurate name for me after all." He started bowing as if a crowd were in front of him. "Hello, folks! My name is Faker the Hedgehog, the best of the best when it comes to lying to his friends and being a _generally terrible fucking person!_ " He felt tears at the corners of his eyes. No. _No._ He was _not_ going to cry. Sonic the Hedgehog didn't _cry_.

In a moment, he was on the ground, sobbing into his gloves with shaky breaths.

He felt a hand land softly on his shoulder. Sonic jumped; he had forgotten about the other occupant of the room. Except...Classic was in front of him, hands not touching him. Sonic whirled around, ready to attack whatever had-

It was Tails.

Oh _God_ , it was Tails.

Sonic froze. How much had he heard? He had to recompose himself, but after that vent it felt impossible. No, _nothing_ was impossible. Just...insanely difficult to attempt. He took in a deep breath; now wasn't the time to be looking crazy. How could he have let Tails see him like this? Maybe he had just come in, but he still would have seen him _crying_ and that never happened and he really didn't want to drag his buddy into something unimportant and-

He was sitting on the floor of the small, cramped room. He felt the gaze of both Classic and Tails burning into him.

Amy. Amy was standing in the doorway. She had her hammer out, but wasn't making any move toward Sonic. That in itself would have been enough to expect the world to end in the next second, but piled up on top of everything else? It was surprising that the universe was still in one piece.

* * *

Tails felt concerned, worried, confused, determined...it was difficult sorting out all the emotions. Of all the things he's expected to find upon hearing Sonic outside the room, seeing the hedgehog on the ground crying and looking so vulnerable was not one of them. It would never have been one of them. He'd put a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture, unsure of what exactly he could do to help. And now? Now his best friend was staring at him like a deer in the headlights, an unfamiliar sight of tear stains coating his face.

Tails had only heard the last few sentences from Sonic, but it was well enough to bring in unsure thoughts and questions. That wasn't important right now. What was important was getting Sonic to calm down. "Sonic?" Tails said his name lightly.

Sonic shuddered. It was clear that he was trying to compose himself, albeit not well. His breathing was too fast, and his mouth was working, likely trying to produce words that wouldn't release. Finally, he spoke, "I-I'm fine."

Well, that was a lie if Tails had ever heard one. "No. No, you're not." Tails sat down next to him. "What happened?" When he didn't receive an answer, he turned his gaze to Classic, who coughed. He didn't say a word either, but that wasn't really a surprise.

"Sonic," Amy started, moving into the room. "Please...just tell us what's wrong. We heard you outside and...and I'm worried for you!" She looked about ready to cry herself.

Sonic stood up, wiping his face. He looked at Tails, then Classic, then Amy. He shook his head and...and he was gone. He'd run off. Tails stared at the door, but decided against going after him.

Amy turned on Classic, a certain glint in her eye that made Tails take an involuntary step back. " _Well?_ Tell us what happened or _so help me you will taste my Piko Piko Hammer!_ " Now Classic looked like he wanted to run out.

"Um, I don't think that'll be necessary," Tails said. Amy faced her hammer towards him now, and Classic shrugged, eyeing the door like it was a paradise. After a quick glance between Amy and the door, he too zoomed out.

"Huh?" Amy blinked, then noticed Classic's absence. "HEY! Get back here! I have questions for you, Mister!" Tails was sure she wouldn't actually use the hammer on the poor hedgehog, but he didn't think it was mutually known. Amy raced out.

Just like that, Tails was the only one left in the room. He let out a sigh as events cleared in his mind. What did Sonic mean when he said he'd lied to his friends? He didn't mean Tails, did he? And if so...what about? By the looks of things, it didn't seem to be something he was proud of, and Tails had faith that whatever it was, he had a good reason for it. Still…the idea of Sonic keeping anything from him was unsettling.

Tails had known Sonic for years, and he couldn't recall a single time where he'd seen him cry. It was unheard of. Tails wasn't even sure he was capable of the act. To find him like this, and on the subject of him lying, meant there was something about Sonic that Tails hadn't picked up on during all their time together. The idea upset him, and left him questioning why he was never told anything. Looking back on it, Tails didn't actually know much about how Sonic was before they met. He knew that he had run into Eggman before, and his birthday, but...that was a disturbing lack of information. And worse, Tails had never questioned it.

 _You're overthinking this,_ Tails thought. _I'm sure he'll tell me whatever caused him to act out like that after he's had some time to himself._

Gosh, he hoped he was right.

* * *

 **Aaaaaand that's a wrap! When I first posted this, I was _really_ unsure of my own writing ability, but so far the reception has been very positive. That said, please feel free to review and add any constructive criticism. I am always looking to improve my work (And heck, some of you might know the characters a lot better than I do, so do tell if something seems, like, really off?). **

**I'm not sure how long this will end up being, nor do I know quite what I was thinking when I decided to make my first fanfic here a multi-chapter angst-fest, but hey! Learning experience! Woo-hoo!**


	2. Pop!

**A/N: I'm selling myself to a doomed existence by continuing this, aren't I?**

 **I'm surprised at the reception this fic has gotten! Quite frankly, I was expecting a lot worse XD. Well, here's the continuation of me pretending to know what I'm doing and likely failing miserably. Enjoy? Maybe.**

* * *

Amy Rose held her chin in her hands, sighing as she slumped over the messy table. Scattered notes and a half-eaten pack of gummy bears were the other occupants of the area. The room she temporarily shared with Cream wasn't very well lit, but it was a requirement in not drawing any attention their way. Keeping a low profile was likely the only way they hadn't already lost. However, the state of living conditions wasn't what currently held Amy's thoughts.

Sonic still hadn't returned.

She couldn't help the stray theories that passed through her mind. Was it something she did? It wasn't likely; to her annoyance, she hadn't actually had much chance to speak with Sonic recently. Or perhaps _that_ was the cause? Did Sonic miss her company that much?

 _Get ahold of yourself, Amy. Not everything's about you._

Still, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she were in any way responsible. The state Tails and she had found Sonic in hours ago didn't add up to anything she'd seen from him before. In that moment, she had been ready to murder whoever was responsible. Well...maybe murder was too strong of a word. It was hard to account all the emotions she'd felt, but they were passionate. She started organizing the table.

Classic was probably outside. She knew there was something both Sonic's shared that she was unaware of, and it irritated her that she didn't know what it was. Though, if Amy was being honest with herself, she should have taken into account that Classic didn't really speak. She would probably apologize later for scaring him; it wasn't like she was _actually_ going to hit him with her hammer. He was just an adorable miniature Sonic.

Chewing on a gummy bear, Amy stood up as she finished organizing. Not as much of a distraction as she had hoped. _Where are you, Sonic?_ She knew he was fine, wherever he had gone. She thought she knew. Knuckles had tried calling Sonic over the radio when he'd learned what had happened, but he received no answer. It wasn't like Amy didn't trust Sonic to look after himself, but not knowing where he was pained her. Closing her eyes, Amy made settled a debate in her mind.

Sonic would come back. In that, Amy had faith.

* * *

 _Idiot_ , Knuckles thought. _Running away at a time like this? Who does he think he is?_

The echidna had been on edge ever since he woke up two months ago to Angel Island in the middle of the ocean. Two _months_. He'd never been apart from the Master Emerald for so long! It was too far away for him to sense where it was, and even so, it was probably under a hundred different kinds of traps. He wasn't so stupid as to search for it on his own, but that didn't mean it wasn't frustrating.

Well.

He _had_ gone searching for it, for just under a week, before he was herded into Sonic's posse and told to stay put. But that was irrelevant. Knuckles could safely say that, in this moment in time, he was not so stupid as to search for the Master Emerald on his own. Even he could recognize when the odds were far out of his favor. Instead, Knuckles was currently on hedgehog lookout duty. He'd radioed the Chaotix earlier since they were already out on a mission to find something pertaining to the chaos emeralds, but they had no sighting of the cocky scoundrel.

"Hey, Knucklehead!"

" _GAH!_ " Knuckles almost fell on his back to the floor. To his right, Sonic seemed to have a hard time holding back a snicker. "Sonic? When the hell did you get back?"

"Just now," he answered with a shrug. "Why? Something happen while I was gone?"

"No, not really…" Knuckles shook his head, remembering why he was waiting in the first place, "Hey, what was all that crap before you ran off, anyway? Tails said something went nuts with you earlier. He looked pretty worried, to be honest."

"Oh, _that_?" Sonic said it as if it were the least important thing in the world. "That was just some weird drama act Classic and I did to get our minds off things for a bit. Guess it got a bit out of hand, huh?" Well, he sounded sincere enough. Sonic rubbed the back of his neck.

"That's it?" Knuckles asked, almost feeling disappointed. "Dang, you might wanna check up on your friends, then. They didn't seem to catch on to that. Perhaps consider sending out a Master Emerald search while you're at it. Can never hurt to look."

"Geez, Knux, you're starting to sound like a broken record," Sonic said, rolling his eyes. After a glare from Knuckles, he laughed again, before pointing inside. "You got a point, though, surprising as that sentence sounds. Imma go make sure no one missed me _too_ much."

Knuckles shook his head, "I highly doubt anyone's sad because you weren't around with your snark and bad puns. Besides, you've been missing for longer in the past."

Sonic looked away, "Yeah. That too...Welp, see ya around!" With a quick wave, he was off to the abandoned hotel they'd made base in. Knuckles took a moment to enjoy the peace. So rare it was when Sonic was around.

"...You know he was lying, right?"

"HOLY- _why do people seem so insistent on popping in out of nowhere?_!" Knuckles was very close to knocking the smirk right off Rouge's face as she glided down in front of him from a balcony.

"Aw, are you really that mad at seeing me?" Her face was littered with feigned sorrow. Knuckles was not amused. "Oh, lighten up! I'm not here to do anything inimical."

Knuckles wasn't about to admit that he had no idea what inimical meant, instead opting to glare. Harder.

"Anyways, as I was saying, I wouldn't be so quick to believe everything that comes out of that hedgehog's mouth." She gave the ground where Sonic earlier stood a thoughtful look.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Rouge crossed her arms, eyes closed, "I don't know Sonic as well as you do, so feel free to take what I say with a grain of salt. I'm just telling you, I've gotten pretty good at detecting liars over the years, and Pretty in Blue is no exception."

Knuckles raised an eye-ridge. He'd known Sonic for years, and every time he'd accused the hedgehog of lying, he'd been proven wrong. He could be annoying at times, but he was still a friend who had Knuckles' faith. "Psh, like I'd trust a bat thief over one of my closest friends."

She shrugged, "Have it your way, Knucky. I won't stop you. But if it does turn out that I'm right, you won't hear the end of it." Giving the echidna a wink, she flew inside the hotel base.

Knuckles stared at the entrance for a moment, before shaking his head, turning on his radio. "Hey Vector, while you're on that mission, I recommend keeping an eye out for bat spray. In fact, I'll pay you to grab some."

* * *

Sonic huffed irritably at the others. He still hadn't learned all their names yet, but it frustrated him that some of them seemed to regard him as less than his older counterpart. Was it because he was younger? That was a stupid reason. They were discussing who to send out on a mission once the...Chaos...Chaots...whatever-they-called-themselves returned.

"I got a call from Vector just earlier," Tails said. "He doesn't think the chaos emeralds are involved in any of this. Nothing they found matches the energy signatures." He glanced at the other Sonic in the room, who appeared bored of the conversation already.

"So that means they're still out there?" Knuckles chimed in. "Eggman doesn't have the emeralds?"

"As far as we can tell. The Chaotix' are skilled detectives, after all."

"If this is all true, then that gives us a huge possible advantage." The bat smiled. Was her name Rogue or something? "Shadow should want to hear this. I wonder where he is..."

If Sonic was correct, Shadow was the other hedgehog who always seemed to have a gun stashed in his quills for some reason. He was also difficult to keep track of.

Tails rubbed his chin. "If he has his radio with him, I could probably find out soon enough."

Rouge! That was her name! She waved a hand dismissively, "No need. He'll come back on his own time."

The other Sonic smirked, "Whatever he's doing, let's just hope he and Omega leave some robots for the rest of us. Hey, Classic? Next time we're both out there, howzabout a contest? See who can smash the most robots." And that was another thing...

Classic. Of all the names they could have chosen to call him, it was Classic. Well, he supposed it had a nice, authentic feel to it. Maybe it'd grow on him with time. It was the difference in names in general that weirded him out. He was used to just being referred to as Sonic. After all, that's what he'd been called his whole life...

* * *

" _Sonic the Hedgehog."_

 _Christmas Island was brimming with life. Flowers dotted the landscape around houses built from the surrounding cedar forests. A single volcano rose in the center, but it had been dormant for as long as anyone could remember. A river ran down from the mountain into the ocean a few kilometers away and flickys were heard chirping wherever anyone went. Anyone who visited would have to appreciate the calming beauty of it all. That was, if they weren't currently a very young blue hedgehog getting a stern look from his mother._

Oh no _. What did he do? She always used that tone when he did something wrong._

 _Sonic looked up, an innocent smile plastered on his face. "Yes, Mom?"_

 _She sighed, "Would you like to explain why Cinny is covered in thorns?"_

 _Sonic looked to the right, spotting for the first time a very grumpy looking Cinnamon the Hamster attempting to remove blackberry thorns. Sonic had no memory of coming across him. "I dunno," he said honestly._

" _According to Cinny," his mom continued, "he was picking blackberries when a blue streak flew by and knocked him right into the bush."_

 _Oh. Woops._

" _Um. Sorry," Sonic muttered, kicking one of his boots back and forth across the dirt. "I didn't mean it."_

" _I know, but that isn't my point. You need to pay better attention to where you run."_

" _But the island is so_ small! _I can't go fast_ and _keep watch of everything at the same time. That's really really hard!"_

" _Then slow down." She kneeled to look Sonic in the eye. "I know you don't like the idea, but one of these days you gotta realize that you can't just speed through life. It's far too short for any of that. Sometimes you just need to stop and appreciate what's right in front of you instead of looking for something you'll likely never find. Does that make sense?" Something in her eyes alluded to a deeper meaning in her words beyond Sonic's running, but he couldn't pick it out. Instead, he nodded. "Wonderful. Now, how about you go help Cinny remove some of those thorns. And please, be more careful next time. You know I'm already worried letting you run around the island on your own. Don't make me change my mind on that."_

 _Again, Sonic nodded, an embarrassed smile on his features. He really, truly hadn't meant to knock Cinny into the bush. And he didn't recall anything of the sort, though it was hard to tell at his speed. And removing thorns sounded really_ boring. _But he'd do it anyways. Not out of the good of his heart, but because he didn't want to get into any worse trouble. He liked everything just the way it was, thank you very much._

* * *

 **A/N: *slams head on desk* IhatewritingIhatewritingwhyisthissodifficultaaaaaaaaahhhh**

 **The thing with getting decent reception on your first chapter is suddenly there's standards you gotta live up to and I'm worried that I'm gonna fail at that lmao plus im writing most of these characters for the first time**

 **Actually though, I've got a niceee little outline for this fic all planned out. Idk how many chapters it'll add up to, but it should be a decent length. Dip derp i might draw art for this. i draw art btw my signature is SF. If you're really curious, i have an amino account with much arts.**

 **slowly watch these authors notes grow more illiterate as time goes byyy R/R or whatever your choice**


	3. Special Delivery

**A/N: Doot doot it an update. Beautiful. Glorious. I'm tired, Romeo and Juliet is amusing, and Shakespeare is confusing. English class is interesting. What? This has nothing to do with my fanfic, you ask? Well, you're completely right. Um. I updated my profile a little? Yeah, there you go. Enjoy.**

* * *

"...A surprise?" Tails blinked at his wrist, where Vector's voice had come from. For whatever reason, the crocodile wasn't using his camera to help communicate. Was it broken? "Explain."

"I think you're gonna like this one, Tails! We're almost back. I'll show ya then." The radio turned off, indicating that the conversation was over. Tails scratched the back of his head in confusion. That was...odd.

"'Sup, little bro?" Sonic's voice pierced through Tails' thoughts. The fox turned to see him standing nearby, only slight curiosity showing on his features. "Who was that?"

"Vector. The Chaotix are almost back here, and apparently, they have a 'surprise', whatever that means."

"A surprise, huh?" Sonic paused for a moment. "With them, that could mean anything from an extra large chocolate bar to a device with the capacity to destroy the planet."

Tails chuckled, "Yeah, probably. Still, I don't see why they couldn't tell us. Oh well; we'll know soon either way."

"Fair enough."

Tails studied Sonic. He didn't _seem_ to be acting differently...but then, what was all that back there? The fox had been trying his best to ignore the thoughts, but they kept resurfacing whenever Sonic was around, like a rather troublesome mosquito that refused to be swatted away. There was a problem; there had to be, else Tails wouldn't have seen what he had. Yet...shouldn't Sonic have explained what it was? Tails was Sonic's best friend, which meant there weren't to be any secrets between them.

 _"...the best of the best when it comes to lying to his friends…"_

Sonic's words were like a gunshot in Tails' subconsciousness. As hard as he tried to think otherwise, there really wasn't any other interpretation. Yet despite it all, Sonic looked to be the same as ever.

"You alright, buddy?"

Trying, and failing, to hide his jump, Tails blinked up at Sonic with a nod. "Y-yeah," the fox said. He'd hoped Sonic would have at least mentioned the incident by now, the lack thereof doing nothing to calm his negative thoughts. "You know...you know you can talk to me if something's on your mind, right?"

Sonic seemed taken aback by the question. "Oh, well, _yeah_ I know that. What's with the sudden change in topic?"

Wow...he really was acting like nothing happened. "It's just...earlier…" he trailed off, wordless gestures failing to express the end of the statement.

"Oh.. _.ohhh._..You mean that silly drama act Classic and I did?"

What?

"Drama act?" Tails echoed. That was...not at all what had come to mind.

"Yep!" He laughed, "We were getting a little bored, you know: not really going out to do anything for while; it catches up to you. So we had a little fun. Probably took the whole thing a little too far, but what can ya do?" He gave a half shrug.

Tails wanted to believe it. He wanted to believe every word he'd just heard and forget his earlier worries. It would be so easy. Except it wasn't. The way Sonic had looked at him back there: the voice, _the tears_...Either Sonic was the greatest actor in the world, or his words were as true as the idea of Eggman giving up on ruling everything and becoming a teacher in morals. Tails tried to ignore the fact that, currently, Eggman kinda _did_ rule everything. That was irrelevant to the conversation topic.

So instead, it hurt. It hurt to think– to _know_ he was being lied to by his big brother. It hurt to believe that Sonic didn't trust him with whatever had bothered him earlier. It hurt to know that there was something going on and Tails could do nothing to help because he didn't know what was wrong in the first place.

"...I see," Tails said eventually, unable to hide the discontent in his voice. He wanted to say more, to call Sonic out on his words, but he found himself unable. Alternatively, Tails chose to drop the topic entirely. "So...you think we should head to the lobby area to wait for the Chaotix?"

"Sounds good to me." Sonic sounded almost relieved at the change of subject, already walking away.

The old hotel had two stories, the second of those being the one Tails was currently moving down from. Each story had 20 bedrooms, which left plenty of space for everyone currently staying there. Well, five of those rooms were actually damaged beyond repair, meaning there were only 35 _habitable_ rooms, but it was plenty regardless. Along with those was the main lobby and a restaurant area, where most of the food was kept. Mixed with the aesthetically pleasing blues and greens that were found outside the rooms, the place would have assumably made good revenue while it was still running for business. Too bad the city it was in was rendered practically inhabitable after Eggman was through with it, which Tails was certain was done as a means of threatening. No one even knew where the original owners were, never mind if they were even– well, best not to dwell on that.

Now, the once abandoned building had become the main base of operations for Tails and his friends. After all, who would look for them in the remains of a lost cause? The hotel was currently occupied by Tails, Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Vanilla, the Chaotix, and Team Dark– though no one knew exactly where Shadow and Omega were at the moment.

Stepping off the stairs into the lobby (the elevators didn't work. Tails would have to do something about that later.), Tails saw Amy with her arms crossed, glaring at Sonic. Oh boy.

"You run off for hours after that, and when you come back, _you don't even talk to me?!_ " She looked more concerned than angry. "I was _worried!_ "

Sonic gave an awkward shrug, "Sorry Ames, guess it slipped my mind." Unlikely.

While Tails shuffled away from the two, and by extent the conversation, Amy did nothing but stare at Sonic. That is, before she dashed toward him with remarkable speed and engulfed him in a tight hug, knocking the blue hedgehog back a few steps. "At least tell us you're going to run off before you go and do it!"

"N-noted," Sonic said, sounding like he was being suffocated, which likely wasn't far from the truth knowing Amy. "Now. Please. _Air_."

She let him go with a stern look, opening her mouth again, though whatever she was going to say was cut off by the opening of the entrance door. In flew Charmy, followed more slowly by Espio, then Vector, then-

 _"Silver?"_ Sonic exclaimed.

The other hedgehog waved, "Hey, guys. Long time no see."

Tails gawked a little at Silver, not expecting him in the slightest. "What are you doing in, well, _the present?_ "

"Believe it or not, it wasn't on purpose this time." Silver shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure what happened. There was a strange feeling, and something that felt similar to Chaos Control, and suddenly I'm somewhere completely different and there's a giant robot trying to kill me." He chuckled, "It was a relief to find someone familiar, to be honest. Not that I'm not used to finding myself in unfamiliar situations."

Charmy piped in, "He looked _so cool!_ With random things being all floaty an' stuff 'round him! That robot had nothing on this guy! I wanted to help too, but Vector didn't let me get closer." He turned a rather grumpy expression to the crocodile. "Oh! Oh! And he wanted me to say, 'surprise'!" Confetti that Tails had not seen in the bee's hands was thrown into the air, scattering to the floor. Espio wore an amused smile.

"Speaking of surprises," Silver continued on, "I found something you might want." He pulled something bright from his quills, with the appearance of a large purple gemstone.

"Woah, you got one of the Chaos Emeralds!" Sonic exclaimed, shooting Silver a thumbs-up. "Nice job!"

"This is exactly what we needed!" Tails said, ecstatic. "Using that, I should be able to get a general location of the other six."

Vector smirked, "I told ya you'd like it." After a moment, he added, "We better be getting paid extra for that."

"Wait a minute, I'm the one who found the thing," Silver cut back. "If anyone's getting paid, shouldn't it be me? I mean, I don't actually care that much, but I thought I should mention."

"He has a point," Tails agreed. "That, and you said you'd be doing this without pay considering the situation."

Vector looked as though Tails' words had cut through every dark secret within, before sighing, "Well, I'm not a liar…"

"Say, where'd Amy go?" Sonic asked cautiously. Only then did Tails take note of her sudden absence from the scene.

"I...have no clue," Tails answered honestly.

Vector began towards the stairs, "Well, while you two deal with that, I have some bad news about bat spray I gotta deliver to a certain echidna. See ya!"

"Oh, okay!" Tails called after him as Charmy followed.

"...Bat spray?" Silver asked, clearly confused.

"I believe Knuckles has been having issues with Rouge as of recently," Espio said. "It's not my place to intrude, but Vector has been searching for 'bat spray' with the promise of payment. I...do not think it actually exists."

That sounded like a Knuckles thing, alright. Tails decided it would be best not to ask the echidna guardian directly.

Everyone's heads snapped to the entrance as the door flung open, revealing an ebony-colored hedgehog and a robot. Shadow didn't say a word, moving right by towards the staircase. Omega took a moment to glance at the room's occupants before following. Tails again wondered why they'd let the trigger-happy robot stay here.

"Welcome back!" Sonic yelled without a hint of mockery in his voice. The lobby was silent for about ten seconds. Well, at least they knew where Shadow was, now.

"So...I guess I'll be staying here, then?" Silver asked, looking around. "It looks a bit run-down...but so does everywhere else around here. This was Eggman's doing, right?"

"Yeah," Sonic said, "He's been wreaking havoc on the world for over a month now. No idea how someone like him managed it, but here we are." There was a note of bitterness in his voice.

Silver nodded in understanding. "Sounds rough. So you've all been staying here, it looks like? What happened? No offense, but the Sonic I know would have stopped this long before it got to this point."

That said, he probably would have, if he hadn't gone missing right before. Tails never learned the full reasoning for that. "As far as we know, Eggman has the Master Emerald, and apparently something related to time travel on his side. We still have no clue where the rest of the Chaos Emeralds are, but you finding one is proof enough that Eggman doesn't have them all."

"Time travel?" Sonic echoed. "I haven't heard that yet."

"We have a version of you from the past, and now Silver's here, so I thought it was a safe assumption." He was still trying to work out why it was those two specifically that were in the present now. Was it because both were hedgehogs? No, that didn't make any sense. Did Eggman want the two here? But then, lowering his chance of a full victory like that didn't sound like him. So what was it? What else did the two hedgehogs have in common? _Well, that's another thing on my to-do list. Fixing elevators will have to wait a_ little _longer._

Silver floated the Chaos Emerald over to Tails. "You'll know what to do with this better than I."

"Thanks," Tails said, taking it.

"We'll need to locate the others as soon as possible if we wanna end all this," Sonic winked at Tails. "Plus, I could really use some nice adventure retrieving one. I feel like I've done nothing but sit around for the past week." Never mind that he had recently returned from an hours-long run, but Tails got the idea. Time to get some emeralds, beat an egg, etc.

A full schedule indeed.

* * *

"Got it!" Tails shouted, knowing no one would hear him from his temporary room on the second floor. He held up a device showing a map of the world, zooming in on a flashing red dot. "Looks like the closest Chaos Emerald is...a little west of Station Square." He hummed thoughtfully. "That's still an ocean away, and I don't have my Tornado with me right now..." Then how was anyone supposed to get there? The fox glanced again at the purple Chaos Emerald.

Oh. Duh. Chaos Control. Which meant Shadow would have to help retrieve the second emerald. Not that Sonic couldn't use Chaos Control, but he was far less practiced to Tails' knowledge. So that meant the top candidates for getting the emerald were Sonic and Shadow. Maybe another. Sonic would insist on going after doing so much nothing, Tails was sure.

The fox sighed. He wished he wasn't so busy; maybe then he could go, too. He was starting to miss the adventure.

Well, this wasn't about him. Hopping off his chair, he moved to inform everyone of the current situation.

* * *

 **A/N: I looked it up, and bat spray is most definitely a thing. ~the more you know~**

 **Curse all the characters confirmed for Forces because that means I have to write them all. (I say this while including Team Dark, despite them not being confirmed for the game. Except Team Dark is too amazing to leave out, so.)**


	4. Pancakes

**A/N: Ehh, I'm not as happy with this chapter as with the others, but hey! It exists! Let's all celebrate! School sucks!  
**

 **On another note, ffn decided to be rude and didn't put chapter 3 on the first page when I uploaded it, so make sure to read that if you haven't already. Dippity do, 'tis a thing.**

* * *

Sonic looked at Shadow, who now held the purple Chaos Emerald. Finally, there was something to _do._ No more sitting around. No more doing nothing productive. This was just what he needed. Shadow had agreed to go, which was good. Sonic was not about to attempt Chaos Control at that kind of distance.

They would be going alone, which made sense. Sonic could carry his _and_ Shadow's weight just fine if need be. Not to mention that most of the others already had important duties to take care of. Knuckles and Rouge had left during the night to locate the Master Emerald, the task being safer now that there was a method of instant transportation if need be. What force had managed to get those two to work together, Sonic didn't know. That partnership couldn't possibly last for more than an hour.

The rising sun filtered through the windows of the main lobby, promising plenty of daylight to get the job done. If all went well, they could be done in just a couple hours, maybe less. Sonic wouldn't mind taking more time to smash extra robots, though, if that were a possibility. _Best to try and reverse at least some of the damage Eggman's caused by now,_ he thought, holding Tails' tracking device in his hands. Shadow's voice rang clear:

"Chaos... _CONTROL!_ "

* * *

The two hedgehogs disappeared from sight. They wouldn't be back for a while yet, Amy assumed, looking around the lobby which was now empty save for her, Cream, and Cheese.

She shook her head. If there was any time to take action, that time was now. This simply could not go on! How everything had kept like this for so long was beyond her knowledge, but she was determined to set it straight! She looked at the young rabbit standing next to her, "Cream, get the broom. It's time to do some housekeeping."

Cheese nodded, determined look on his face. "Chao."

Cream jogged towards the nearby storage room to fulfill Amy's request, quickly returning with broom and dustpan in hand. "Here you go, Ms. Amy."

"Thanks!" Amy smiled, taking the items. "Now, we need to work quickly. Who knows how long we'll have before Sonic returns? I can't have him coming back to this sorry excuse of a hotel! Do you think you can get your mom to help out?"

Cream put a finger to her chin in thought before nodding, "Sure! I won't take too long." She left the room, taking a right in the halls while Amy began work sweeping the lobby. It hadn't gotten the worst of the damage by a long shot, but it was the most frequently visited area, putting it on top priority for proper cleaning.

With no other duties on her shoulders, cleaning made a great activity for the day. Not only would it benefit everyone staying here, but it would also keep her mind too busy to wander into certain subjects she was determined not to think about. Plus, Sonic might notice the work she'd put in and, Chaos willing, ask her out on a date.

She stopped.

Okay, _maybe_ not a date right now. A date _after_ they'd stopped Eggman's current rule on the world, which they would certainly do, would work nicely. She knew the likelihood of Sonic asking her out was in reality very slim, but so help her she could dream. Either way, there would be benefit from the day's plans.

She was almost halfway done sweeping when Cream returned, "Mom said she would clean the hallway on the first floor and make sure everything is nice and pretty. Do you want some help?"

"Hmm...do you think you could start mopping where I've already swept? Then we can sweep the hallways and try to...salvage those ruined rooms." The damaged had already been done when they first arrived, and no one had really touched the area since. Amy planned to at least make it look presentable. Lunch would be nice after that.

Cream nodded, going back to the storage room and returning with mop and sponge, the latter given to Cheese to scrub the harder to reach areas. With the three working together, the Lobby was sparkling within the hour. Amy could see her reflection in the marble floor. This was off to a great start, and there was still plenty of daylight ahead.

"Ms. Amy, it looks really pretty," Cream commentated.

"Heck yeah it does." Amy gave the rabbit a high-five. Easy part over. Now, time to go upstairs!

They made their way to the second floor, passing Vanilla, who informed them that she saw Silver making pancakes in the kitchen. That he knew how to cook at all came as a surprise to Amy, even if pancakes were a relatively easy food. Go him.

She stopped in her tracks, the unknowing Cream bumping into her and muttering an apology. Silver was here. Silver, who could move objects with his mind alone. Why didn't she think of it sooner? The damaged area of the hotel had broken floor boards and a giant hole in the wall. That would take hours for a normal person to pick up. If she had Silver help, that whole section, maybe even the rest of the hotel, would be cleaned easily.

"Ms. Amy, do you think Silver will want to help us?" Looks like Amy wasn't the only one with the idea. They'd have to go back downstairs, but the time they'd save by bringing in Silver would more than make up for it. Plan settled. Time to deal business.

Cream chose to clean the upper hallway while Amy grabbed Silver, who she found doing exactly Vanilla had said: making chocolate chip pancakes in the hotel's kitchen. The sweet scent proved that he knew what he was doing. That made four decent cooks currently living here, Amy concluded. Where'd he get that cute apron?

"Silver!" Amy called, "We could really use your help!"

He dropped a pancake mid-flip, caught it, and placed it back on the pan before turning to Amy. "Um, I'm kinda busy."

Amy shook her head, "No, Silver. This is more important than pancakes. This is more important than anything your mind could conjure up at this moment! There can be no delay!"

Silver's full attention looked to be on Amy now. "Wait, what happened? Did Eggman invade? Does something go wrong on one of the missions?" His voice was urgent.

"No. It's the hotel. It's gone too long without being properly cleaned and I need you to move stuff around on the second floor!"

Silver's stare switched to blank faster than one could say 'Sonic'. "Oh. That's it?"

"That's it? This is more important than a simple 'that's it', Silver." Okay, enough with the fancy act. "...Please? It would make our job go a lot faster." She put on her most innocent, pleading face. No one could possibly resist. In all honesty, if Silver said no they would find a way to clean everything without him, but the help would be appreciated nonetheless.

With a shrug and sigh, Silver uttered, "Well...I don't see why helping out could hurt. Besides, I can't just stay here without doing something to compensate."

"Wonderful!" Amy exclaimed, a bright smile appearing as she dragged Silver out of the kitchen by hand, almost tripping the other hedgehog.

"Actually," Silver continued, regaining his footing and personal space, "If you need me for that big damaged area upstairs, I could handle that on my own while you finish anything else that needs work."

"Really? Aw, thank you! That's more than I could have hoped for!" Silver was almost too helpful.

They passed Classic on their way upstairs, the young hedgehog moving urgently toward the kitchen they'd just exited. Amy wondered briefly what could have caught his attention. He was probably just hungry...

There was no time like the present to get to work. Duty called, and Amy Rose would answer!

* * *

The world shifted around the two hedgehogs, leaving Sonic feeling marginally nauseous. Not that he would let it show in front of Shadow of all people.

That was his intention, at least. Execution could have gone better, considering that the next moment had the ground making a sweet hello to his face. Brushing off the dirt and trying not to puke while standing up, Sonic couldn't help but notice that Shadow didn't seem the least bit put off by the transport. An unfavorable reaction from Mr. Grumps-A-Lot.

"Let's not waste time," Shadow said, already moving away to follow the red dot on that Chaos Energy-tracking thing Sonic couldn't remember the name of. Wait, wasn't he holding that just a second ago? How'd he- _Well, that's Shadow for you._

Sonic looked around, noting the skyscrapers in the far east. It looked to be the rebuilt Station Square. A nice sight, if it weren't for the giant knock-off Death Egg Robots in the surrounding area. Another reminder of just how great a hold Eggman had on the world. Just beautiful. The sun stood in the middle of the sky, indicating it was midday, and only a few clouds were in sight. Maybe they should have taken time zones into account before leaving. Oh well. "So, how far away is it?" Sonic asked after catching up, looking over Shadow's shoulder at the device.

"If this tracking device is correct, the Chaos Emerald should be near the top of that hill." Shadow flicked his head toward a large rocky hill about three kilometers away. Sonic couldn't see anything too shiny at that distance, but he trusted Tails' handiwork to, well, _work._

Sonic smirked, "That's almost _too_ easy." No robots? No traps or anyone to get in his way? Piece of cake. "Thanks, Shads! Race you to the Emerald!" Sonic dashed away, reaching the hill's summit in barely a second. Large and rocky indeed. He was almost surprised he didn't slip. Now for a bit of scavenger hunting.

At this height, he had a good view of the surrounding area. There were a couple smaller, less rocky hills, but everything else in the area was grass fields, with lupines and daisies growing as far as the eye could see. The whole place seemed surprisingly untouched, allowed to grow free, in stark contrast to what could be made out of Station Square. If Sonic had any say, it would remain this way.

Shadow had moved. He also had the device that would assumedly remove the need for scavenger hunting. Probably should have thought about that before declaring a race. Woops. Well, this wasn't really his kind of race, anyway.

Instead, Sonic looked around for the ebony hedgehog. It wasn't difficult to spot him further down the hill, repeatedly glancing at the tracking device. Sonic moved to meet him, "Find anything? Also, er, forget the race thing. For now. I'll make it up to you later."

"I would have a better time finding it if you would shut up for more than a second."

"Aw geez, it's hostile." Sonic put his hands up in front of him, smile widening when he got a glare in return. "You know there's more feelings in the world than 'irritated' and 'antisocial', right? You might wanna try out some variety some time. Heard it works wonders for your emotional state." Was that too on-the-nose? Oh well.

"Hmph. As if your obnoxious optimism were any better."

"Obnoxious?" Sonic repeated in clearly feigned offense. "Oh, how ever shall I recover from such an insult? I am truly hurt, Shadow."

Another look at the device revealed that the emerald should be right in front of them. Instead, there were more rocks. Well, that wasn't too hard to figure out. With exaggerated movements, Sonic began removing the rocks. "Now you see, Shadow, in these kinds of situations, we remove the obstacle keeping us from what we're looking for, like so." _Aha!_ Taking out one last rock revealed a shining green emerald lodged in a crevice in the rock. "See? Now that wasn't so hard," he said, reaching for it smoothly. He didn't see the hints of urgency appear on Shadow's features once he took hold of the gem.

"Sonic-"

He should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

* * *

What did room service do again? Make the bed, make sure nothing's too out of place...maybe vacuum? Whatever it was, it was Amy's current objective. She held a list of who had what room in hand. She wouldn't bother anyone who was in their rooms now, but tidying up for those who were out doing missions couldn't hurt.

The closest of those rooms belonged to Knuckles, at the end of the hallway. Room 21. Opening the door, she saw a fairly empty room. There was a dresser, bed, TV, fridge, microwave, and nightstand. Typical hotel stuff. On top of the dresser was a large bowl of...grapes? Weird, but she was no one to judge on fruit taste. Amy was expecting the room to be much messier, but besides some ruffled bedsheets, it was clean.

There was a sketchbook on the nightstand. Did Knuckles draw? That was news. She took a quick glance inside, giggling to herself at the less-than-professional art inside, and what words were written were in horrendous handwriting. She closed it after a couple pages, not wanting to invade the echidna's privacy too much. She made the bed quickly, dusted, and left the room.

Next up along the hallway was Shadow's room, at number 24...Locked. Well, that wasn't much of a surprise. That just meant she could reach the next room that much quicker. She grew more pleased with her choice of activity by the second.

Each moment had Amy's smile growing more. Sonic's room. Room 25. What could be in there? She suspected that Sonic had a lot of possessions. He'd chosen the largest kind of room– the kind that had four beds! Except, he took out _three_ of them. Who _does_ that? Now there were three beds sitting around in the restaurant area. Rouge had somehow laid claim to all of them.

Clearly, Sonic had needed the space to put a bunch of stuff in. It wouldn't surprise Amy if he'd collected a lot through all of those adventures. The prospect of seeing it all for herself had her dashing to the door. This one was not locked. Feather duster in hand, she entered the room.

Well. That was unexpected. The room was practically _empty_! The only things inside were the bed in the center, and a nightstand. On the nightstand was some weird bracelet with a green gem that looked familiar, two books, and a water bottle. Placed by the bed was another pair of shoes. The windows were both open. That there was so much empty space was nothing short of bizarre, and Amy questioned why he hadn't just chosen one of the small rooms. Not that he didn't deserve space, but this looked a little...wasteful.

Add that to the list of "Mysterious Sonic Things." These oddities were a part of what made Sonic so fascinating to Amy. One day she would figure him out, and then they could be together. Maybe. She hoped.

There wasn't much to do except make the bed, which was an absolute mess. The sheets were all crumpled up, and one of the pillows was on the floor. She picked up a blanket, silently scolding whoever had owned this hotel before because _there was a hole in the blankets how do you not fix that._ Rolling her eyes, she made a mental note to replace it. After fixing the bed the best she could and once more dusting, she left the room.

Since she'd have to go downstairs anyway, she decided to make sure Rouge's room, number 12, was in order. Amy didn't think Rouge slept in there, but she was sure there were countless jewels and whatever else the bat collected inside. Unfortunately, her speculations remained speculation because, like Shadow's room, it was locked.

Vanilla had already finished cleaning the first-floor hallway. Amy waved to the rabbit.

"Oh, hello, Amy! How are things going?"

"Just replacing a blanket. Silver's working on the damaged rooms and Cream was cleaning the upper hallway, last I checked."

Vanilla gave Amy a warm smile. "That's good to hear. It's nice seeing all of you so willing to help out here."

"It needed to be done," Amy said simply. "We should be getting food soon. Not sure what it'll be yet, but do you want any?"

"That sounds great, but I've already eaten. I must apologize."

"No need," Amy waved it off. "Well, I'm gonna go finish up here and check up on the others. See you around, Vanilla." Amy made her way to the storage room to grab a different blanket. Choosing a light blue one, she moved back upstairs to Sonic's room, putting the blanket in its proper place and blowing a kiss to the room before leaving with a giggle. She bumped into someone on the way out. "Oh! Sorry!"

Oh, it was Classic. He barely caught the plate of pancakes he was holding before they fell. _Oh, right! Silver was making pancakes. And then he came up here to help...without turning anything off. That must be what Classic was doing earlier._ "You saved the pancakes!" she shouted, getting a nod in return. Classic offered her one of them and she took it gladly. She _was_ starting to feel hungry after all, and the scent of pancakes wasn't helping. A little overcooked, but still good. "We should give these to everyone who helped clean around here! I'm sure they're hungry, too." Another nod.

And so, everyone ate chocolate pancakes and lived happily ever after in the new cleansliness of the hotel. That's what Amy thought to herself, at least. She knew this peace in her wouldn't last forever, but cleaning had made her feel a little better about it all. Why they hadn't done this earlier was beyond her, but the look on Silver's face when he remembered the pancakes made it all worth it.

* * *

 **A/N: The End. Actually no, do not be fooled by Amy's inner narration. I promise Sonic isn't dead.**

 **I don't even like pancakes what is this. How do you write Cream? Or Vanilla? lmao i tried**

 **Actually, I temporarily forgot what a pan was called. My state of mind refuses to stay level today.**


	5. And Knuckles

**A/N: We interrupt your regularly scheduled hedgehogs to bring you Knuckles.**

* * *

Ecstatic didn't begin to describe how Knuckles was feeling. They were actually letting him look for the Master Emerald with no argument! Not alone, sure, but he knew the value in Rouge's own treasure hunting skills. In fact, he was in such a good mood, he hadn't even gotten into an argument with her yet. Today was really, truly, looking to be a great day.

"You really shouldn't be so loud," Rouge said.

"Loud? I haven't said a word in at least half an hour." Knuckles crossed his arms. They were heading north, the only vague directional point Knuckles could feel toward the Master Emerald. Vague meaning barely a tiny spark pulsing in his soul, but a calling spark nonetheless.

"Maybe, but you walk as if you _want_ to be heard from Spagonia. You're not even trying to hide yourself, are you?"

"Well, I'm sorry if my looks are so appalling to you. Why not go back and talk to Espio? I mean hell, _he_ can turn invisible!" He didn't quite understand Rouge's insistence on stealth here. Was she implying that his footsteps were too noisy? What kind of sense did that make? Did she think they would be spotted by Eggman himself? GUN?

"We don't know who can be trusted here. As far as I can assume, Eggman has all of us on a top priority wanted list. I'd rather avoid confrontation if at all possible, so you'll have to learn to be a bit quieter in your steps before we reach somewhere populated." That...actually sounded pretty reasonable for something coming out of Rouge's mouth. There were probably hundreds, _thousands_ of people who would rather do whatever Eggdouche said instead of being punished. What would his punishment be like, anyway? Knuckles didn't intend to find out.

Something crossed his mind, "Wait a minute, if you're trying so hard for us not to be noticed, then why are we talking in the first place?!" Bat logic. Crazy bat logic was all it was.

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Believe it or not," she gestured towards the forest around them, "This place does not happen to be populated. That's why I'm telling you now instead of when it's already too late and you get captured by people trying to protect themselves from whatever Eggman's got in store for those who don't grovel at his feet. You might be cute but sometimes I swear your brain is in shambles!"

She was one to talk about bad brains, what with her only instinct being 'steal the giant powerful gem that really should not be tampered with!' Knuckles couldn't come up with a good response, trading coherent speech in favor of grumbling to himself. This may prove to be a much longer hunt than originally intended. He hoped Sonic was having a harder time with his mission. That might make Knuckles feel better.

Through all the banter, Knuckles could sense himself moving closer to the Master Emerald with every step. His purpose had been to guard it, and now it had been months out of his sight. It was no help that he suspected its involvement with Eggman's recent victories. He would find it again, and he would restore it to its proper place on Angel Island. After a glance at Rouge, he decided he would have to work to keep it out of her reach once it was found as well. It was his duty to keep the Master Emerald out of evil hands. He couldn't let himself fail again, not after the probable damage that this thieving had caused.

Soon.

* * *

 **A/N: The longest chapter of this fic, followed by what's by far the shortest? Yes, because my internet went out and I wanted to add this separately. And. Stuff. & Knuckles. :P**


	6. Remembrance

**A/N~ I believe this is the part where it becomes clear that I am one edgy human being in my writing. I'm trying to balance, I swear. Also, when I pasted this in here, all the formatting disappeared and I had to re-add it, so I apologize if there's something I missed (If there is anything, feel free to point it out. I don't have a beta!)**

 **Another thing: I was kinda starting to fall out of the Sonic fandom when I wrote a lot of this, so there might be drops in quality. Sorry in advance, but I do hope you enjoy this!**

* * *

 **Many Years Ago**

 _"What?" she gasped quietly. "Are you certain?"_

 _Sonic couldn't hear anything from the other side of the phone and was left guessing on both who his mom was talking to and why. "What's wrong?"_

 _"Hush," she told him sharply. "Yes. Yes, I understand. I'll make sure it's safe. Can—can you find a way to defuse the situation? Negotiate?" Sonic wasn't sure what that tone of voice meant. It was different from what he was used to. He didn't like it._

 _She clenched her hand into a fist, "...Okay." She pressed a button on the phone, turning it off and setting it on the table. "Sonic, I need you to listen to me." She placed her hands on his shoulders, a look in her eyes that Sonic couldn't pick out. "I want you to go down to the basement and stay there until the morning or when I say you can come back up. Can you do that for me?"_

 _"Why?" he asked. She looked distressed. Why did she look distressed?_

 _A smile appeared on her face, "Think of it like a challenge. If you beat the challenge, I'll reward you. If you can stay down there, I'll make chili dogs for dinner for the next week. How does that sound?"_

 _A week of chili dogs? His mom's homemade chili dogs? That was hard to say no to. Sonic still felt like something was off, but maybe going to the basement like Mom wanted would make things return to normal. "Okay!" he said, already moving down. He heard a relieved sigh behind him._

 _The basement was dark, but Sonic was too short to reach the light switch. There had to be something to do down here. Otherwise, it'd be so_ boring.

 _Someone spoke outside._

 _Well, Mom told him he couldn't leave the basement, but that said nothing about listening in. Sonic pressed his ear to the closed door, making out most of the later conversation._

 _"I already told you there's nothing here like you described. If I had it, I would have given to you already." That was his mom._

 _"Don't lie to me, hedgehog. My sources confirmed it was on the island, and our intelligence has narrowed the Keeper down to you. If you do not give me the emerald, I will not hesitate to hurt you." Sonic had never heard that voice before. Were they playing a game out there?_

 _"I swear, I don't know what you're talking about. An emerald so big that you could barely hold it in your palm? If we had something like that, I think everyone here would know. Or someone would have stolen it. I'm not rich enough for something like that." There was a shuffle. "Y-you...you really do mean what you're saying. I still don't know anything about what you want, but if it makes you leave...I'll give you something. Money. Food. Whatever."_

 _"Sorry, ma'am. That kind of mercy ain't in my job description. This is far too important."_

 _There was more shuffling, and something fell. Shattered. A gasp. What was happening out there? Sonic was growing increasingly uncertain that everything was okay. Sure, he might not get any chili dogs for doing it, but curiosity and concern lead to an open basement door. He tried to be quiet. If his mom didn't notice him when he slipped out, he may be able to hide back in the basement and still get the prize. Absolute genius._

 _The thoughts vanished like mist in the noonday sun. This wasn't right. This wasn't right at_ all. _The chair that usually sat next to the couch was now overturned. There were glass shards on the floor nearby. That mattered nothing to the masked figure holding his mom by the collar of her shirt…_

 _There was no way Sonic would let that mean man do anything bad! He was up in an instant, throwing himself at the masked one and pushing him back. The hand on his mother was released. Sonic didn't know what that guy was planning to do, or why, but he didn't care._

 _"No!"_

 _Sonic ignored his mom. He didn't know how to fight. What did they do in those action movies?_

 _Whatever he would've done was interrupted by the forceful hands pulling Sonic from the ground. Another masked person!_

 _No, they were everywhere...all wearing the same thing. A deep green cloak with a strange symbol on the back, and a blank white mask with slits for the eyes leaving only the muzzle uncovered. The only difference in attire was the slightly different inscriptions on their cloak clasps...and one of them had gagged his mother. He wanted to shout, to say anything at all, but he found himself unable, paralyzed in the hands of one of those people, words as likely to escape as he. He was terrified. He wished he'd stayed in the basement. He would have stayed there forever if it prevented this._

 _"I was unaware that she had a child," one of them spoke. "It is not impossible that he could know something."_

 _Another nodded, "Sounds like a plan. This one looks like she'd rather die before saying anything useful. If the little one knows anything, I believe I have the perfect way to bring it out of him."_

 _What did they mean? Were they gonna do something to him? To Mom? What if he didn't want to do it? It was clear that they were looking for something...an emerald, right? What did Sonic know about an emerald..?_ I think I've seen giant shiny red gem before. Mom wouldn't say anything about it...but emeralds are green, right? _There had to be something he could do to get out of this._

* * *

Shadow jumped off the hill as it shifted, trusting Sonic to do the same. That blue hedgehog's recklessness would get him killed one day. He landed close to the base, watching events transpire.

Rocks rolled down in an avalanche, revealing a structure hidden beneath. It appeared to be a circular platform with spaced pipes holding up a roof. A cylindrical tube had appeared between roof and floor, made of some kind of constant energy. And in the center of it all…

 _Damn that hedgehog!_ Sonic had been trapped inside, chaos emerald attached to the high ceiling closed off out of his reach. So, this was where the mission got interesting. You did not just grab a _Chaos Emerald_ without checking the area for traps. Guess it was time to play hero.

Shadow surveyed they area, expecting another to show up. This was likely the Doctor's work, though if it had been Shadow who grabbed the emerald, he would not have gotten himself trapped.

He would've used Chaos Control to get Sonic out, but there wasn't enough space inside the energy cylinder. Making sure there wasn't anything else around that could turn into a trap, Shadow moved back to the structure, looking for a way to break it.

Sonic stared at the energy shield for a moment. He poked it with his finger, flinching as it shocked him. "Shadow, can you hear me?"

"Yes." So it didn't block sound. Perhaps Sonic could help him find an opening.

"You gotta get me out of here! Don't know if you noticed, but being locked up isn't exactly my favorite activity." There was something in Sonic's eyes, something beyond his words…"Ugh, I bet this is Egghead's doing. Where the heck is he?" Was the other hedgehog...shaking? It must have been Shadow's imagination.

A good question, nonetheless. Most of the Doctor's traps included an appearance of the man himself when they worked. Of course, it was always possible that he was uninvolved in this scenario. Shadow didn't think he was so stupid as to leave a Chaos Emerald unsupervised, even if it were for a trap. He heard something rumbling behind him.

Ah.

"OH HO HO! Fancy seeing you here, Shadow!" Speak of the devil, as they say. "A shame I couldn't capture the both of you, but rest assured, Sonic, you won't be getting out of there anytime soon!"

"In your dreams, you oversized omelet!" Sonic shouted.

"Speaking of you, I was wondering where you were hiding," the Doctor continued. "But, I've already grown annoyed of your voice. Kindly do keep your mouth shut." At that sentence, he pressed a button in his hand. The energy cylinder around Sonic darkened until Shadow could no longer see his rival. Was the sound cut off, too?

"Enough of this," Shadow said. "Tell me how to get the emerald out of there, or your next words will be the last you speak."

"So overdramatic," the Doctor shook his head. Funny that he was the one saying that. "But my stay here has been too long already. After all, ruling the world is a busy task! Not to worry, Shadow. I've left a gift for you." He flew off, to Shadow's frustration, but he wasn't going to run after him while Sonic was trapped.

No doubt his "gift" was some new robot set to kill him. His speculations were confirmed when there appeared from another of the nearby hills a robot of similar size to three refrigerators stacked on top of one another. On one side, "Eggrachnid" was written, likely the name of this creation. It resembled a green spider, but the eyes were replaced by a single red glowing orb. A weak spot, maybe. It would be no match for the Ultimate Lifeform.

The Eggrachnid charged toward Shadow, who dodged with ease. "Hmph. Is this all you can throw at me, Doctor?" This was child's play.

* * *

No. No. _NO._ He couldn't see anything. He couldn't hear anything. And he knew that if he reached out, all he would gain was a painful shock. He looked around, but there was nothing to look at. The Chaos Emerald was high out of reach, making Chaos Control an impossibility. There was no opening. No way out. It wasn't as if he'd never been trapped before, but _this_ was different. Everything about _this_...it was all too _familiar._

He knew Shadow was outside, looking for a way to trash this new device that had Sonic trapped. He thought he knew. Was Eggman still out there? There's no way he would have trapped Shadow too, right? _Cut it with the pessimism, Sonic. That's not gonna get you out of here._ This place was suffocating.

He closed his eyes. He wasn't trapped without an escape route. No, he was...he was in Green Hill Zone. The wind blew freely through his quills as he took in the crisp scent of the air. Everything felt alive within him. He would—

A shock rippled through his arm, and he was back inside that cramped electrical cage. His mind fragmented, scattering memories through his consciousness.

 _They set him in a room with three others, all wearing the same clothing as he'd seen a thousand times that day. Within the room was a screen. A TV?_

 _"Tell us. Do you have any recollection of a large gem?"_

 _Mom had refused these people information. He had to be like her. He shook his head._

 _"Kids. Terrible liars."_

 _One of the people got up with an almost contagious energy. "I bet he'll tell us if we do something to his mum." They tilted their head, "A last effort to gain information from her, and if she doesn't comply, I'm sure_ that one _will have something to say." They flicked a thumb at Sonic, who had chosen not to say anything at the moment._

 _"What do you suggest, Six?" The first speaker looked to a third in the room, presumably Six._

 _"That sounds a little...harsh," Six said. "I'm sure there are other ways we can gather the necessary information."_

 _"Aye, maybe," the one with the suggestion responded, "but you know how the Boss is. They want results, not possibilities. If the Boss wouldn't care about it, why should I? We're here to gather the Chaos Emeralds, not win some honorary prize of morals." There was a certain eagerness to their voice...Sonic shuffled back towards the corner of the space._

 _"Children_ are _far easier to break and manipulate than adults...I suppose you've a point there, Four," the first speaker said._

 _Six shook their head, "Do as you will, but I'll stay in here.'Sides, someone's gotta watch over this guy while you two do your...thing."_

 _"If you wanna miss out on the fun, be my guest," Four scoffed. "Come on, Five, we've work to do!" Four put an arm over Five's shoulder, urging them to move out. These people were scary._

 _The metal door closed on their exit, leaving Sonic alone with Six. Quietly, he asked, "What are they gonna do..?"_

 _"No idea, but I'm certain you won't like it."_

 _"What about home?"_

 _They laughed, "Home? Thanks to your mom, your home and everywhere around it has probably been ransacked to all hell. Chaos, but I'd be surprised if it were still livable."_

 _"So...I can't go back?" But he liked his home!_

 _"Buddy, if you have any sort of relation to that Chaos Emerald, you can go ahead and kiss that normal life goodbye right now." A long, dark gray tail poked out from under their cloak. "And, if you could, keep your mouth shut around the others. Personally, I couldn't give two shits about what you do, but_ they _aren't as lenient."_

 _He tilted his head, "Leaning ant?"_

 _They stared at him under that emotionless mask. "_ Lenient _. Uh...tolerant. Easygoing. They won't be very nice to you. Not that 'nice' was high on their resume, anyway. Just...watch what you do, okay?"_

 _A new voice spoke from Six's arm, "I just got word of what Four and Five are doing. I want you to hold the_ _young hedgehog; we cannot have him trying to escape. Make sure he's looking at the screen, and interrogate him when you get your cue."_

 _"Copy that, Three." Six shrugged, "Welp, guess I gotta hold you now. Do not want to get in trouble with the higher-ups."_

 _"H-hold me?" Sonic moved back toward the corner. This person seemed kinder than the others, but they still wore that mask…_

 _"Keep you in place, or something. And considering they want you looking at that screen...I apologize in advance for anything you're about to see."_

 _Apologize? Why?_

* * *

The Eggrachnid fell behind Shadow, the last of its legs taken out. Was that supposed to be a challenge? A pitiful attempt at best. With that distraction out of the way, he could turn his attentions to freeing Sonic and the Chaos Emerald. Perhaps this wasn't as exciting a mission as he'd first thought. At the very least, it meant their ultimate goal would be reached sooner.

 _I won't let you down. Not any longer._

* * *

 _The screen turned on in a flash, revealing a scene in...a bathroom? In the center was one of the people; the mark on their clasp indicated them as Four. They smiled, nodding to the right, and moved away. Now the center image was-_

 _"MOM!" Sonic shouted at the screen. His eyes widened at the sight. She was being held by Five in a tight grip, and behind them a bathtub was full. What were they doing?_

 _"They can't hear you," Six said. "Hmm...based on what I've seen before, it looks like they plan on drowning her if she doesn't talk. Or if_ you _don't, depending on what you know."_

 _"What!?" No, he had to get her out of there somehow. He had to..._

 _"Okay, cool, so you're obviously not planning to let me go," the screen's audio relayed his mother's words. "And you've made it clear you know I'm the Keeper. Congratulations; you must be so proud, but if you knew enough to figure that out, you should also know that I took an oath. If you think I'm gonna tell you anything, you're pretty far off your mark."_

 _"Well, you're certainly braver with your words than first impressions would imply. More daring than the last one, too," Five commented. "But if we could break her, you shouldn't be too much harder. Now, I'm gonna ask again: where is it, and what's the codeword?"_

 _"It's up your ass and the codeword's F-U."_

 _"Oh! Wow!" Four laughed, "That is not the mouth I expected to find on a Keeper of Chaos. Guess it's dunking time for you!" He grabbed her head and shoved it forcefully into the bathtub._

 _Sonic squirmed in Six's arms. "Stop!"_

 _Six sighed, "And I suppose_ you _don't know anything?"_

 _"Let me go!"_

 _"That's not an answer, little dude."_

 _"I-if I say something…will you stop hurting her?"_

 _"I…can't promise anything. It depends on how much you know."_

 _Sonic searched his mind for anything that could help. "Um…are emeralds green?"_

 _Her head tilted back, "What kind of question is…Most emeralds are green, yes. Chaos Emeralds are different, though. They come in many colors."_

 _"I think I saw Mom once, with a red one." He was starting to think he should have asked more questions back then._

 _"Red, huh? Do you know where she put it?"_

 _"No...and she never told me much...can you let her go now?"_

 _Someone gasped. Sonic looked at the screen. They had taken Mom's head out of the water. Her eyes were squinted shut on her soaked face while she almost choked on the fresh air, sending a glare to Four. "That...wasn't very...welcoming of you...you know."_

 _"Talk," Five demanded._

 _"Okay...you want me to talk. Fine." She smirked, "I mean, I guess I could say something about the weather, but it's hard to see it in here. You wouldn't mind giving me a view of outside, would you?"_

 _"Dunk her..," Five muttered._

 _Sonic broke his stare on the screen. "You said they would stop…"_

 _"First of all, no I didn't," Six said, "and secondly, I haven't even talked to them yet. Thank you for reminding me." They turned on their communicator. "Okay, I've gotten confirmation that it's the Red Emerald being held here."_

 _"Got it," Five said. "At least that's something." They looked to Four, "That's probably enough."_

 _Pulling her head back up and allowing for another set of gasps, Four frowned, "You understand that you don't order me, right?"_

 _"You were the one following what I say. Besides, if you left her any longer, you might have drowned her."_

 _"As if she was gonna say anything, anyway…"_

 _"Keeper, speak."_

 _She bared teeth, breathing heavy, "Four's right, you know. If this is your idea of...getting someone to talk...you really gotta up your game."_

 _Sonic's eyes fixed on the screen again, mouth agape. They were hurting her. How was she still able to stay that strong? This was so different from what Sonic had seen from her before, but it was mesmerizing. She was amazing. And they were hurting her._

 _A beep came from Four's arm, "Hey, I have some nice news."_

 _"What is it, Three?"_

 _"Feel free to bow down and praise me after hearing this: I not only found out where the emerald is, but I also figured out the codeword to get in."_

 _"What-"_

 _"Shut it, Keeper," Five cut in. "How'd you figure that out?"_

 _Three's voice continued, "It was the same as the last one, but put through vigenère cipher with the keyword 'KNUCKLES'."_

 _"Well whaddya know," Four smiled, "Guess we didn't need you after all!"_

 _"So what?" she asked, "Are you just gonna let me go?"_

 _"Let you go? Where's the fun in that?" Something about that smile, even under the mask, felt sadistic at its core. "You have been particularly frustrating today. I don't quite like frustrating people, so I think I'll get rid of that issue."_

 _"If you're going to kill me, just say it."_

 _"You only make the prospect more entertaining."_

K-kill…? _That was when someone went to sleep and never woke up again. Sonic didn't want that to happen!_

 _"What?" Six whispered. They looked to their communication device, "That's unnecessary! We already have what we're looking for."_

 _"What's that? Can't hear you over this girl's inability to breathe at the moment!" Four said, black gloved hand pushing his mother into the bathtub again. Why didn't they stop? Didn't they know where the emerald was? Why didn't they_ stop!? _"And don't tell me you actually care, Six! I thought you were beyond that."_

 _"I don't...I don't care," Six said. "I just think she could be, I don't know, a useful source of info-"_

 _"LET HER GO!" Sonic screamed to the screen, trying in vain to get out of Six's grasp. "You have what you so want let her go!"_

 _"Calm down!" Six said. "There nothing you can do from here!"_

 _The screen shut off. The room was silent. Then, quietly, Sonic asked, "...Mom?"_

 _Six muttered a curse a moment before the door flung open, revealing someone with a thicker build and a red reptilian tail, muzzle sticking out from their mask. "'Bout time you stopped shouting. Make a guy deaf, why don't you?" It was Three, and in his hand lied the same gem Sonic had seen his mother with once before. The Chaos Emerald._

 _"Y-you-!" Sonic tried to say something. Two more appeared behind Three. Two he was by now very familiar with._

 _Sonic saw red._

 _"What did you do!?" He broke away from Six, charging toward the first person he could reach. He grabbed something. The emerald? It didn't matter. At that point in time, he only knew rage. Somehow, he knew they had killed her. The idea of death was still a foreign concept, but to know he would never speak to her again...never feel her arms around him...he could only hate the ones responsible. He closed his eyes, and felt something else growing inside him, around him...and he channeled it. His thoughts. His fears. They would become his weapon._

 _A light breeze blew from all directions._

 _There was a scream._

 _When Sonic opened his eyes, everyone in the room had been roughly knocked into a wall. Did...did I…?_

 _"Calling backup! The young hedgehog...he can use Chaos Control! We need him restrained." Three tore himself from the wall. "Well? Don't just stand there! Somebody get that Chaos Emerald away from him!_ "

* * *

"Sonic."

He shouldn't have done that. He should have never shown them what he was capable of back then.

"Sonic, look at me."

He remembered coming back years later. Why he chose to, he couldn't comprehend. Maybe he thought things would be the same as before? That was stupid. He should've known.

"Whatever is on your mind...It's not reality."

He'd come back, and found her body, untouched since what happened. If things had been different…

"Sonic!" There were hands on his shoulders, shaking him…

" _GET OFF OF ME!_ " he pushed whatever was holding him. He wouldn't let them…let them...them... "Shadow..?"

Shadow took his hands off Sonic, moving back a respectable distance, "I found a weak point in the capture device, and was able to free you. I used Chaos Control to get us to a safer location because I would rather not take risks when holding multiple Chaos Emeralds. I didn't go directly back to base, in case our Chaos signature could be read, but we're close enough to make it on foot in a decent timeframe...if you are up to it."

"I, um, I…" Sonic was at a loss for words. He wasn't still trapped. He wasn't in danger. And he certainly wasn't in the presence of any of _those_ people. Instead, looking around, Sonic noticed that the two were in a large open field, unlike the one they had been to earlier. He took a deep breath.

Somehow, Shadow had gotten him out of that cage, _and_ used Chaos Control, all without him noticing a thing. He didn't know what he had looked like a minute ago, nor did he want to. _What am I_ doing? _First I practically break down while Tails and Amy are watching, and now this? What's gotten into me?_ He didn't like appearing vulnerable in front of others. It was unlike him. So why was all of this happening all of a sudden?

And there was another thought. Shadow hadn't said a single thing about it. He didn't even ask what had been on his mind. Sonic would have expected Shadow of all people to use that kind of thing to get an advantage over his rival, yet he wasn't making a move on the subject. That was...respectable.

Shadow spoke, "Don't expect me to save you every time you get yourself into a trap."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Sonic said, regaining himself. "You said the hotel was nearby, right? Howzabout I make up for that race I canceled earlier?" He could definitely use a good run after all that. Geez, adventures were supposed to be _fun,_ not whatever _that_ was. Hopefully this would make up for it.

Shadow looked like he was about to decline, but something switched in his eyes. "Very well. You're on, Hedgehog."

Sonic smirked. Now _this_ sounded like a good time. Besides, he needed to even the score after Shadow practically saved his life minutes ago.

"Here we... _go!_ "


End file.
